ChrisAbeel

Chris Abeel has over 30 years of experience in governmental and public affairs. He serves as the League’s principal lobbyist and spokesperson in Trenton and with the state’s congressional delegation.

Before joining the League in 2005, Abeel was vice president of public policy for FleetBoston Financial with responsibility for governmental, public policy, and opinion-leader related affairs in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

From 1987-1995 he was vice president and director of state governmental affairs for Citicorp/Citibank. In that capacity, he was responsible for the establishment and implementation of the then-largest US bank’s state legislative priorities and goals nationwide, and coordinated major lobbying initiatives.

Before joining Citigroup/Citibank, he was associate director of public affairs for American International Group where his responsibilities included a full range of public affairs, governmental relations, and corporate communications duties.

Since joining the League, Abeel has successfully led a number of state legislative initiatives, including municipal deposits reform enabling credit unions to become eligible to participate in the state’s $16 billion public funds market, expansion of the state’s Credit Union Advisory Council to provide for representation of Federal charter credit unions, and prize-linked savings enabling legislation. He has also secured important support among the state’s congressional delegation on key Washington issues, such as regulatory relief, credit union member business lending (MBL) reform, and risk based capital.

Abeel has a long history of civic involvement. He was a trustee of the Westfield Memorial Library, member of the New Jersey General Assembly Local Government Affairs Advisory Council, board director of the Youth and Family Counseling Service, member of the Community Advisory Board of New Jersey Network (WNJN), and member of the Drew University Board of Visitors. He served two terms as a Westfield, N.J. councilman and 15 years on the Scotch Plains Township Zoning Board of Adjustment.

He currently serves on the board of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. In 1996, Governor Whitman appointed him to the New Jersey Banking Advisory Board. He was appointed to a second four-year term in 2000. He is the 1997 recipient of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s Public Service Award.